Inspire Investing LLC Buys 1,141 Shares of Stepan (NYSE:SCL)

Inspire Investing LLC increased its stake in shares of Stepan (NYSE:SCL) by 27.1% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 5,351 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after buying an additional 1,141 shares during the quarter. Inspire Investing LLC’s holdings in Stepan were worth $413,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of SCL. Quest Partners LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Stepan by 3,053.3% during the second quarter. Quest Partners LLC now owns 473 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $40,000 after acquiring an additional 458 shares during the period. Innealta Capital LLC bought a new position in Stepan during the 2nd quarter valued at about $59,000. Adirondack Trust Co. boosted its position in Stepan by 60.0% in the second quarter. Adirondack Trust Co. now owns 800 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $67,000 after buying an additional 300 shares in the last quarter. 1620 Investment Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in Stepan during the second quarter worth about $123,000. Finally, Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL acquired a new stake in shares of Stepan during the second quarter worth approximately $129,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 82.70% of the company’s stock.

Stepan Price Performance

Shares of SCL stock opened at $76.19 on Thursday. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $75.19 and its 200-day moving average is $81.77. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31, a quick ratio of 0.92 and a current ratio of 1.32. Stepan has a 52 week low of $64.15 and a 52 week high of $96.68. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.71 billion, a PE ratio of 45.90 and a beta of 0.80.

Stepan (NYSE:SCL) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 31st. The basic materials company reported $0.41 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.67 by ($0.26). Stepan had a net margin of 1.58% and a return on equity of 3.83%. The company had revenue of $556.41 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $581.30 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $0.53 EPS. The company’s revenue was down 4.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts expect that Stepan will post 2.12 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Stepan Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 13th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 30th were given a $0.375 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 30th. This represents a $1.50 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.97%. Stepan’s payout ratio is 90.36%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, StockNews.com downgraded Stepan from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, July 28th.

Insider Activity

In other news, VP David Kabbes purchased 1,056 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 14th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $71.39 per share, for a total transaction of $75,387.84. Following the completion of the acquisition, the vice president now directly owns 1,056 shares in the company, valued at approximately $75,387.84. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Insiders own 6.90% of the company’s stock.

Stepan Company Profile

Stepan Company, together with its subsidiaries, produces and sells specialty and intermediate chemicals to other manufacturers for use in various end products worldwide. It operates through three segments: Surfactants, Polymers, and Specialty Products. The Surfactants segment offers surfactants that are used in consumer and industrial cleaning and disinfection products, including detergents for washing clothes, dishes, carpets, and floors and walls, as well as shampoos and body washes; and other applications, such as fabric softeners, germicidal quaternary compounds, disinfectants, and lubricating ingredients.